Colonial times in Namibia were violent and oppressive. Massive amounts of natural resources and wealth were taken from the colonized people by the colonists.
Namibia was forced to endure colonization by two different ethnic groups, the Germans and then by the South African Afrikaners.
This period of colonization lasted for more than 100 years.
1884
Germany creates South-West Africa.
Germans introduce a system of private land ownership.
1897
Herero, one of the many Namibian tribes, forced to sell much of their land, and half their surviving cattle to the German settlers for very little money.
1904
Herero warriors kill every German they find whom they consider capable of carrying arms. This is approximately 100 German men.
The Germans kill 8,000 Herero men, their women, children, and cattle.
The Herero extermination order is issued.
Hereros are placed in the world’s first concentrations camps. These camps act as a model for Adolf Hitler’s future concentration camps.
1905
The Nama (another Namibian tribe) extermination order is issued.
1907
The Colonial Office issues strict orders that no colonized people can own land or cattle (the Ovambos were an exception).
1908
Diamonds are discovered.
The settlers are encouraged by the government to take land from the colonized.
1911
A census reveals that the Nama have halved in number during the previous decade from 20,000 to 9,800.
The Herero have been reduced by 80% from 80,000 to 15,000.
1915
The German South-West Africa is conquered by South Africa.
Afrikaners (white South Africans) replace German settlers as the colonizers.
1923
The “1923 Group Areas Act” is created.
Large numbers of Afrikaners are allocated prime farming land under a generously subsidized settlement program.
Ultimately, the colonists (7% of the population) get 60% of the land.
1966
Apartheid laws of South Africa were officially extended to Namibia.
The contract labor system is enacted.
1990
Namibia gains independence from South Africa.
The laws of apartheid are removed, but some things still remain…
Key Points of Namibia’s Colonization
Repeatedly, one-sided laws were used to take resources from the colonized people.
Repeatedly, powerful resources (like military support) were provided by the colonizers’ motherlands.
Repeatedly, the colonized were separated, dehumanized, brutalized, and used as forced labor.
Colonization was a systematic process that allowed colonizers to achieve significant economic gain at a terrible cost to the colonized.
Today
Namibia is a beautiful country with beautiful people. There just over 2 million people living in Namibia, most of whom identify with one of 12 different indigenous tribes. Because of its diversity and history of apartheid, racism and tribalism is still a major struggle that people are trying to overcome.
Not only are the people of Namibia diverse, but also the communities which they live. Namibian communities range from small single family villages to the modern capital city of Windhoek, with shopping malls and Kentucky Fried Chicken. Most communities find themselves somewhere in-between the two and the struggle of becoming western compared to living traditional is seen everywhere one looks.
The effects of over 100 years of colonization still linger in Namibia. These effects are significant, and continue to negatively impact the lives of many. This is to be expected -- colonization is a brutal action taken against an entire group of people. Such actions have lasting effects.
The effects of colonization are deeply rooted in the lives and cultures of the people found in Namibia. Racism and tribalism is one of the major challenges Namibia has to deal with.
Mariental
Population of Mariental is around 10,000 people, however exact population is hard to measure because of the numerous people that live in informal settlement camps. (Illegal housing)
There are 4 primary schools in Mariental and 3 high schools. Primary school is grade 1-7 and high school grade 8-12. Education is required by law from grade 1 to grade 10, but this is not enforced and many families cannot afford to pay the school fees that are charged. It is also required that from grade 5 and up teachers use only English as a median for instruction. This is also a problem though, because most teachers were educated in Afrikaans (the colonial language), and are not yet fluent enough in English to teach well.
The primary language spoken in Mariental is Khoekhoe pronounced “quayquay”. This is followed by Afrikaans, English, Oshiwambo, and other indigenous languages. Everyone is bilingual (Afrikaans is everyone’s 1st or 2nd language) with many others being tri and quad lingual.
Mariental children enjoy many different sports after school including rugby, netball, and most importantly soccer. Street soccer games can be found happening all day long in the cool season and most evenings during the hot summer months (Namibia is in the southern hemisphere, so seasons are opposite of the U.S.).
The leaders of Mariental are realizing the importance of educating their young people. With the HIV/AIDS infection rate on the rise and the governments of southern Africa in constant chaos, education is very important for the future of Namibia. My goal with the Library Project is to increase literacy amongst the young Mariental population, and in turn giving them the gift to be able to educate themselves, in the future.
A History of Namibia
Colonial times in Namibia were violent and oppressive. Massive amounts of natural resources and wealth were taken from the colonized people by the colonists.
Namibia was forced to endure colonization by two different ethnic groups, the Germans and then by the South African Afrikaners.
This period of colonization lasted for more than 100 years.
1884
1897
1904
1905
1907
1908
1911
1915
1923
1966
1990
Key Points of Namibia’s Colonization
Today
Namibia is a beautiful country with beautiful people. There just over 2 million people living in Namibia, most of whom identify with one of 12 different indigenous tribes. Because of its diversity and history of apartheid, racism and tribalism is still a major struggle that people are trying to overcome.Not only are the people of Namibia diverse, but also the communities which they live. Namibian communities range from small single family villages to the modern capital city of Windhoek, with shopping malls and Kentucky Fried Chicken. Most communities find themselves somewhere in-between the two and the struggle of becoming western compared to living traditional is seen everywhere one looks.
The effects of over 100 years of colonization still linger in Namibia. These effects are significant, and continue to negatively impact the lives of many. This is to be expected -- colonization is a brutal action taken against an entire group of people. Such actions have lasting effects.
The effects of colonization are deeply rooted in the lives and cultures of the people found in Namibia. Racism and tribalism is one of the major challenges Namibia has to deal with.
Mariental
Population of Mariental is around 10,000 people, however exact population is hard to measure because of the numerous people that live in informal settlement camps. (Illegal housing)There are 4 primary schools in Mariental and 3 high schools. Primary school is grade 1-7 and high school grade 8-12. Education is required by law from grade 1 to grade 10, but this is not enforced and many families cannot afford to pay the school fees that are charged. It is also required that from grade 5 and up teachers use only English as a median for instruction. This is also a problem though, because most teachers were educated in Afrikaans (the colonial language), and are not yet fluent enough in English to teach well.
The primary language spoken in Mariental is Khoekhoe pronounced “quayquay”. This is followed by Afrikaans, English, Oshiwambo, and other indigenous languages. Everyone is bilingual (Afrikaans is everyone’s 1st or 2nd language) with many others being tri and quad lingual.
Mariental children enjoy many different sports after school including rugby, netball, and most importantly soccer. Street soccer games can be found happening all day long in the cool season and most evenings during the hot summer months (Namibia is in the southern hemisphere, so seasons are opposite of the U.S.).
The leaders of Mariental are realizing the importance of educating their young people. With the HIV/AIDS infection rate on the rise and the governments of southern Africa in constant chaos, education is very important for the future of Namibia. My goal with the Library Project is to increase literacy amongst the young Mariental population, and in turn giving them the gift to be able to educate themselves, in the future.